Good Friends, Good Neighbours
by Lunastar268
Summary: Set after Order of the Phoenix: After Harry givers his tri-wizard winnings to Fred and George to help with thier dream, they feel like they want to return the favour. Knowing how the Dursley's treat him from his rescue between 1st and 2nd year and how isolated he was between 4th and 5th year they decide to use their shop money to rent a house in privet drive opposite number 4.
1. Chapter 1

**_Hey there. This is my first fanfiction so sorry if it's not great. This is a plot idea I decided to run with- you get load of stories on people (usually Snape) taking Harry away from number 4, this I a twist on that. Fred and George saw how harry was treated in Chamber of Secrets and don't strike me as they type to leave friends in a bad place, so what do you do if you can't take the away and aren't too bothered by the rules? You go to them. (I havent seen many stories like this- mostly ones where people stay at number 4 for some reason- but let me know if you have). Suggestions and constructive criticism welcome._**

 ** _Not currently planning on any major pairings (if there are they'll be cannon)._**

 ** _Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any related characters and this is a non-profit fiction_**

 **Chapter 1:**

It was closing time at the joke shop and Fred was checking the finance books while George dealt with the last few customers. The shop was coming along nicely and business was getting better by the day.

Fred looked around his desk, bored. This was the part of the business he hated- paperwork and finances. He decided they'd have to come up with a product for that- maybe something like the marauders map that changed with a password from homework to a comic. Thinking of the map made his mind wander further, this time to the boy who helped make this possible: Harry Potter, their little brother's best friend, the boy who he'd seen go through countless trials and adventures.

Think of Harry made him realise that not only was Harry special to Ron but to his whole family- the boy had given him and George the final leg-up to get there business off the ground, helped Ron's confidence with their adventures, and even saved Ginny's life. There was no doubt there whole family owed Harry a lot, which made him wish he could help more. The question was how? Fred could hardly take on Voldemort for him, or keep the press from attacking at the first sign of trouble (he was thankful they were trying for Harry's good books again), he couldn't even take him away from his so-called relatives. He felt his anger rise.

Just thinking of the Dursley's made him sick. Those muggles had one of the kindest and bravest people he'd ever met living in their house, yet, they had both seen how they treat him. He though back to the summer when he was just 14. They had borrowed their dad car and used it to rescue their friend. When they saw him Fred could hardly believe his eyes; Harry was so thin, locked in a dingy room, his belongings taken away and bars on his window.

Of course there mum thought they were exaggerating and then the fiasco with the chamber drove the incident out of all their heads, but still, he doubted they were much better.

Fred's thoughts were interrupted when his twin walked in holding a letter looking tired.

"Another postal order?" he enquired.

"No" replied George "mum"

"Why's she sending a letter? She does realise we see her 3 time a week right?" Fred sighed.

"She's worried, she just read about the attack that happened a few streets over. Apparently she's decided were not safe living in the shop"

'That's just great' Fred thought 'we have enough to do without moving back home: we'll never get anything done!'

As usual George seemed to read his thoughts;

"If we want to avoid moving back home we'll need a compromise with her"

As they both pondered the question Fred found himself thinking of all the issues in their lives: running the business, helping the order any way they can, keeping mum happy. This somehow led him back to thinking of all the issues Harry dealt with and wondering how he didn't go mad.

That's when it struck him. A way to kill all three birds with one stone, while at the same time helping to lighten his friend's painful burdens.

He met George's eye- a grin slowly spreading across his face, soon mirrored in the face of his doppelganger. He sensed Fred had a plan.

After a brief discussion they had the perfect plan, one that would have them in a safe neighbourhood to keep mum happy, yet with the space to work on the shop and their inventions, all the while helping the order protect their greatest hope, from both death eaters and Dursley's.

The next day they were going house hunting… in Privet Drive.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any related characters and this is a non-profit fiction_**

Harry couldn't remember the last time he moved. He had been 'home' for around a fortnight- though he wasn't sure. He wasn't sure of anything anymore. Time was a blur. His thoughts were a blur. All he knew was Sirius was gone, and it was all his fault. If he hadn't rushed into the obvious trap at the Department of Mysteries Sirius would still be alive. He would still have a godfather. He would still have hope for a better life.

He felt selfish for thinking about himself at a time like this- he still had his friends, he had Dumbledore. That's more than some. Remus was alone now. Two of his best friend were dead, the other a traitor. Who did he have? The thought sat like a stone in Harry's stomach. If it wasn't for him, Remus wouldn't be alone. Remus would still have his friend.

Harry wished he could go back. Wished Hermione still had her time turner so he could make thing right. Wished he had listened to her and Ron in the first place. But that was just a fantasy now, they were all gone. Destroyed in the battle along with so many things, all those items lost in one night. Harry wondered what else he ruined by choosing not to wait. Had some of those objects been designed to save lives, document information that would never be regained? He'd probably never know.

This thought lead him full circle to the end of that dreadful night. When he learnt of the prophesy foretelling his duty. His destiny.

Strangely, he wasn't scared. Just numb. The choice was clear; become a murderer or be murdered. Lookin at the options he couldn't tell which was more appealing. On the one hand he guessed some may already consider him a murderer. There was certainly no shortage of blood on his hands; Cedric, Sirius, his parents, even less innocent blood like Quirrell stained them a sickly colour. What's one more drop, one more life on his conscience? He guessed by extension, letting Wormtail live who brought his master back, meant he would bear the weight of all those lost in the war.

A small part of his mind (the part the often sounded like Hermione) told him it wasn't his fault, but she was quickly drowned out.

Instead he considered the alternative- being murdered. It's not the first time he thought he would die young. Even before he knew about Voldemort he always suspected he was never meant for retirement. His uncle alone being a likely cause; being at least four times Harry's size it wouldn't take much for his uncle to have killed him as a child- even unintentionally. Harry wondered if he ever regretted not.

How would people feel if he did die? Would they grieve? Be surprised? Disappointed? Or would they feel how he felt now, numb?

So far his uncle and aunt had left him alone, they didn't care if he let himself starve. He wondered how long it would take them to notice if he faded away. Probably as long as it took for the dusting to need doing and the grass to need cutting. They wouldn't care if he rotted.

Little did he know, a few streets over, a pair of redheads were in an estate agent making some enquiries. A pair of redheads who would most certainly care if he rotted.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any related characters and this is a non-profit fiction_**

Fred and George couldn't believe their luck. Not only was there a house up for rent, but it was number 7 Privet Drive; almost exactly opposite to Harry's house! Apparently the owners who lived there had gotten fed up with some of their neighbours and decided to move.

Thanks to the money received from harry and the prior postal purchases around Hogwarts Fred and George had already payed the deposit for the shop and now that was up and running they had plenty of income to pay the rent.

And so- here they were, already signing the papers and unloading their stuff into their new home (it helped when you had magic to help you pack and move thing quickly).

They hadn't told anyone about the move yet; George had suggested they hold off until it was official so no-one could try and disrupt their plan. After all; once it was in play they were sure everyone would come around.

Harry's first inclination that something odd was happening came from Hedwig. The owl had been dozing halfway between asleep and awake when two mops of flaming red hair drew her attention to the window. Perking up at the familiar sight she let out a squark to alert her companion who was still laying on his bed- looking like a cross between a corpse and a vampire.

Noticing her agitation Harry got up and looked out the window, only for both twins to have already entered the house. As a result all the teenager saw were some unknown neighbours moving into number 7. He spared a quick thought to the previous residents who had opted to move after Dudley and his gang had attacked there 10 year old son and boken 2 of their windows- of course his aunt and uncle wouldn't hear of their son causing trouble and tried to blame Harry.

Not thinking any more of it he sat back on the bed and soon drifted off into a fitful sleep.

Meanwhile Fred and George were looking around there new house. It was clean. Too clean, and almost mirrored Harries in structure and colouration; they would definitely need to decorate.

Unpacking didn't take long thanks to them knowing their way around the ministry department due to their dad (and some past antics best saved for another story), allowing them to get the forms for registering in a muggle residence pushed through nice and quick; as long as they were not in view of the wrong people they could do as much magic as they liked (something they also hoped to use to help harry out with should trouble come calling, after all, if harry could be blamed for Dobbies magic, they could be blamed for his).

Soon enough they had claimed the master bedroom as their own (with two double beds squeezed in), a spare room with bunk beds for Harry, as well as any family or friends who wished to stay, they planned to invite Ron and Hermione to visit, and the 2 other upstairs bedrooms converted into a lab and office.

Picking a moment when they happened to know Mundungus Fletcher was meant to be on guard but 'happened' to get a business call that would certainly distract him they decided it was high time the introduce themselves to their new neighbours.

 **Hey there. Sorry if this chapter is a bit slow (the last chapter got a bit darker than planned) but thing will start to pick up really soon. Hoping to update within a few by Wednesday at the latest (decided to put these 3 out now as i have a super busy weekend ahead). p.s. sorry for the short chapters so far.**

 **Hope you enjoy and let me know what you think. Thanks**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey there: I'm back. I'm going to try for a longer chapter this time, things should definitely pick up now the set up's out the way: I've had loads of Ideas (I've outlined a few chapters and there should be at least another 7 if this story works out how I'm hoping- Please review so I can get an idea on directions or ideas you would like to see - also have a lot more ideas for other stories). There's an OC in this chapter but she won't play a major role, I want this story to focus on Harry the twins and the families so OC's will be kept to a minimum unless needed for the plot.**

 **going though my previous chapter's I noticed a few mistakes so sorry about them- I will try and go back and change them and again, feel free to point them out (I currently don't have anyone to proof read and as I'm dyslexic can be a pretty poor speller)**

 **As Usual I don't own anything (but my OC's)**

 **On with the story:**

Petunia Dursley was just getting home from picking up some shopping when she saw the 'to let' sign outside number 7 had been taken down. This of course peeked her curiosity and she was exited at the concept of some fresh gossip. It would take her mind of her darling son who, ever since last summer, had been acting strange. She even caught him trying to take food up to the Potter boy before she stopped him. Let the brat take care of himself she thought, it's his fault Dudley was attacked by those disgusting creatures in the first place. Fortunately Dudley had been at a boxing tournament with his friends for the last few days so he was away from her nephew. He would be returning that day and to celebrate she had bought him a brand new weight system as a welcome home gift.

Noticing there was no car in the driveway she wondered if the new neighbours had moved in yet, they couldn't be worse than the last family she thought vindictively, how they dared make such accusations of her Ickle Dudleykins!

Locking the car she crossed the street she headed to number 7 which was next to the house directly opposite to Number 4. Peeking through the window as she passed she was surprised that from what she could make out through the netted curtains across the window it almost looked like it had been lived in for months, not hours; there where pictures on the wall, furniture neatly in place (though no TV that she could see which to her was bizarre), and no sign of suitcases or boxes. Excited about this potential item of gossip she got to the front door, and hearing people speaking behind it she knocked.

* * *

Just as they were about to step out the door Fred and George heard a knock. They looked at each other wondering if it was the Order wondering what they were up to and hoped they wouldn't be forced to leave before having a chance to demonstrate that this was a brilliant plan.

They opened the door only to see a tall, horse faced woman with a long neck, Harry's aunt! She had a huge fake smile plastered across her face for the few seconds it took for her to see and recognise them, at which point she shrieked like a banshee.

Fighting to keep a straight face Fred decided he better start talking before someone called the authorities.

"Mrs Dursley!" he exclaimed in an overly happy manor, "how lovely to see you again". Picking up on where Fred left off George went on in the same happy tone:

"We were just coming to see you and introduce ourselves to the others on the street, after all we're neighbours now, feel free to borrow some sugar or frogspawn any time you need some!"

Petunia was just standing there, her mouth flapping like a fish, looking like she had just been told the apocalypse had come, so the twin's continues in their usual fashion of alternating between sentences.

"Isn't this exiting Gred? Now we can each other every day!"

"Too right Forge! We'll have dinner parties"

"Go camping together"

"Swap recipes for cakes and potions"

"We could even show her that new spell were working on!"

"STOP! STOP, I WONT HAVE ANY OF THIS! YOU CAN'T BE HERE" the woman suddenly shrieked before turning and running into her house to call her husband.

"Did we say something wrong?" joked George, a huge grin on his face.

"Maybe we broke a muggle custom- we should have offered her cake or something" Fred replied grinning back though they were both slightly shocked by her extreme reaction and hoped she wasn't going to punish Harry for any of this.

At that moment another neighbour showed up to see what all the commotion was about.

She approached the two boys before clearing her throat to get their attention

"Hello dears, what was all that about?" she said with a bit too much sugar in her voice, while the twins noticed her eyes were scanning both them and the house.

Fred recovered first and decided to introduce themselves (giving George a subtle signal that this time it would be best to speak normally until they established who she was).

"Hello madam, my name is Fred and this is my brother George" he stated politely "we just moved in"

"I see, my name is Mrs Jones, though feel free to call me Lucy" she smiled and edged closer to the door trying to see further in and tried to weasel out some more information "what was all that screaming about?"

"The lady from number 4, she seemed upset about something though I can't imagine what" George stated, this woman was starting to make him uncomfortable so he thought he'd have some fun and try and get her to go away, "Mabey she doesn't like redheads"

Mrs Jones jumped at the chance to gossip, most of the neighbourhood hated the Dursley's so she was looking forward to filling the handsome young men in

"Oh shes a stange one, don't mind her" she stated quickly "she's the type who'd think you're crazy if you don't get the same brand of beans as her, she's probably curious as to how you seem to have unpacked so quickly" she probed

"Is that so?" George stated, ignoring the implied question, both of them seeing the irony that the Dursley's were so determined to seem normal it appeared they had only succeeded in coming over as strange, they wondered if the Dursley's realised this.

"Oh yes, and it's not just the mother, I'D suggest you keep an eye out for the whole family!" she continued, looking more exited with every word though like she was trying hard to hide it, at this moment Fred decided to play along with her games to see what they could learn.

"In what way?" he asked putting on a curious expression

"Well, aside from the mother you have her husband, a big brute of a man if you ask me, runs some company and seems to think that makes him important. However you should hear him in the evenings! Bellowing at the top of his lungs and causing all sorts of ruckus! He certainly has a nasty streak, one he passed on to his son! Keep an eye out for him by the way- they say he's the one who drove the previous family in this house away, running around causing trouble with his gang, little vandals the lot of them, makes me almost glad I only have girls! And that's not going into the nephew!"

At this the twin's ears perked up!  
"Stange boy he is" she continues, barely registering the twins change in manor, "showed up on the doorstep when he was just a baby, they say he's related through the woman's sister, killed in a car crash while driving drunk, or so they claim, but I find it odd, I mean, if that the case who left him there? The police certainly wouldn't have dumped a baby outside like that and I'm yet to see so much as a social worker, they certainly trat him strangely too, no wonder he acts out!"

Fred and George felt a strange mixture of emotions with this information, something between humour at how the Dursley felt they were viewed compared to reality, anger at the story they seemed to have told the neighbours about Harry's parents (a car crash! Drunk! They deserved something better than that!) As well as what they heard of Harry's arrival, and a mixture of fear and curiosity for what they would hear next.

"Why? How do they treat him? How does he act?" they asked quickly, catching the womens attention.

She continues more cautiously, sensing there was more to this somehow, "well, put it like this, Whenever I saw him growing up he was doing some kind of chore, they boy would spend hours in all hours doing the garden work until his hands bled- no wonder it looks good though of course it's that woman who claims the credit, same with cakes she brought to the last bake sale, I just happened to see him baking them yet she claimed all the credit! Of course that's just the tip of it" she paused

"What else?" Fred demanded

Looking startled by his tone but at the same time glad to be the centre of such strong attention she continued, confidently but at the same time quiet, almost in a whisper so as not to be heard

"Well" she started and the twins wondered why she kept saying that "put it like this- thing have changed ever since he finished primary school, not entirely mind you but in lots of little ways, when he was younger he was almost never seen, even if you were in the house, of course the family claimed he was a trouble maker and a lier so they kept him indoors, in fact they all seem to jump at the chance to point out his flaws, than theres the fact that his clothes are always so baggy and scruffy, like he's homeless, and he's a tenth of the size of the son, wait until you see him, a real whale of a boy, and you wonder, why the difference- I always wondered if he has some kind of eating disorder, you know. Than theres the constant disappearing, it used to be an occasional thing-he'd vanish for a week or so as a child before being brought back, now he's only around a few moths per year, and when he is he's often wandering around the streets, though I haven't seen much of him this year though I'm sure he's back, apparently he goes to school in a secure centre for criminal boys though I called it up, purely for research- I write books on parenting you see, and here's the thing- they have no record of him being there, so where does he go? Isn't that odd?"

This worried Fred and George even more- was Harry OK? Why was he staying in the house he hated? Was he locked up again? And what was all this about his past and vanishing as a kid? Did Dumbledore know?

With a look they agreed then and there they would start to set thing straight and they would start here.

Seeing their faces the older woman started up again

"What's wrong? Is it something I said?"

"We were just surprised that what people are saying about Harry" George stated coldly

"How did you know his name? I never said it and noone else seems to use it: he's usually known as Potter or boy"

This angered the twins even further- as soon

"We knew him at school, an no- it wasn't a criminal school, it a private place up in Scotland, you have to pass a test to get in, there very exclusive, don't even have a website because they pick their students, his parent went there so that's how they knew about him"

"What's more" George continued from Fred "it might interest you to know that Harry's not strange, he's very nice, and brave! He saved our little sister from a snake!"

"And just so you know" Fred stated, deciding to get George off the topic of Ginny and Hogwarts (at least until they could straighten out the story with Harry) "he's the one who helped us unpack so quickly, he's so helpful and hard-working, and kind"

Feeling embarrassed and sensing the twins anger Mrs Jones decided now would be a good time to leave, she'd come back another day, besides, she got all the gossip she needed… for now.

 **OK- I'm not sure how much I'm going to use this Mrs Jones character in future chapters, she will show up again but she probably won't have a big role unless people like her (for now think of her as a muggle equivalent of Reeta skeeter)**

 **I know there was a lot of speech in this chapter and I'll try to use less when I can.**

 **Hoping to update soon (Dudley will play a role in the next chapter), until next tie happy reading (let me know how you think it going- I'd love to hear if people like this)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Still don't own them**

Petunia couldn't believe it. They were here. They were HERE! In Privet Drive! Her new neighbours were… she couldn't bring herself to finish the thought. What if they cursed her and her family? What if they held covens in the local park? What if they had pets that would ruin her garden?

She couldn't comprehend it, why move in so close? What did they want? Naturally Vernon had been furious when she called and was heading straight home to help deal with the situation, oh why did he work over 90 minutes away!

Petunia took back her earlier thought: this was DEFINITELY worse than the last family (slander aside).

She tried to calm herself down, maybe some good would come from it, maybe they would trigger those… you know what detectors and get the brat expelled. But wait, then they'd be doing magic! She took it back, please don't let them do that. Anyway, if he was expelled he may never get a job, if he never got a job he may never leave that bedroom and she really wanted a sewing room. Plus if he didn't keep going he may never be killed; having received multiple letter throughout the year from that school she felt if he was going to be out of her hair early, that school would probably be accountable. It seemed not a year went by she didn't get seemingly dozens of letters: 'Harry saved a girl from a troll', 'Harry got attacked by dementors in a sports match', 'Harry had an encounter with a serial killer', 'Harry fought a basilisk', she didn't even know what the last one was! Times like this she wondered if the kid was immortal, in which case she felt the 'blood wards' as that old man had put it were rather unnecessary.

With all this going through her head it was a shame Petunia didn't have a remembrall as she had forgotten something. Dudley's train had arrived well over an hour ago.

Dudley Dursley was hot. Too hot. He had been sat at the station with a huge suitcase for ages and his mum still hadn't shown up to collect him. Since his friends had left he was bored, hungry and just wanted to go home and watch TV.

After waiting another half hour he realised if he wasn't home soon he would miss his favourite show! In the end he decided to walk the 20 minute hike home (even though he hated walking- he felt human's probably evolved feet to work car pedals, not move about long distances). 'Honestly' he thought moodily as he grabbed his bag 'what could be so important that his mum couldn't drop it and get him!'

Fred and George were gobsmacked. Criminal schools, car crashes, eating disorders! What kind of chocolate were these muggles eating! And where could they get some for Percy- he could certainly use a little less reality.

As soon as that Mrs Jones had left the two had sat in the living room. For once in their life they couldn't think of anything to say, how could you when you were a natural joker and there was no funny side!

The twins said nothing but the looks in each other's eyes said enough- they made the right choice in coming here; Harry needed help. Speaking of whom, what was this about no-one seeing him? Last year the order had said he'd been wandering around the streets most of the time.

After sitting for a while and calming down a bit they decided to go find Harry. Thinking now was not the best time for them to show up at number 4 they instead decided to scout around they area and hope Harry was on one of his walks.

Dudley was still bored. He'd been walking for about 10 minutes and was just approaching the park near his house. He would definitely be giving his mum a good talking too when he got home (maybe he'd be able to get a good gift out of it, like a new game.

As he kept walking he realised there were two men approaching the park. He couldn't make out much except they were the same height and build… and had bright red hair! He suddenly remembered his cousin friends- there was a whole bunch with that exact hair colour, including two twins! Was it them? Could he duck into an ally and hope they passed without seeing him? He felt his tongue grow dry reminding him of that damn toffee and his buttocks started to tingle- he still had a scar from that damn tail.

Suddenly the twins looked up. They had been heading to the park where harry would often hang out when the saw a large figure approaching freeze. Looking behind them they wondered what was up his but. Until they got a bit closer and recognised him. Harry's whale of a cousin, oh this would be fun! They finally had an outlet for their current bad mood, a grin spread across there identical faces, an evil glint in their eyes. 'Toffee time' Fred thought.

They picked up the pace until they were a few feet away from Dudley who looked white as a sheet and ready to blot.

"Hello Dudley, fancy meeting you here" Fred said in a tone that was somehow both polite and menacing.

Dudley just let out a frightened squeak and clutched his bottom (thinking back, nether twin can recall a time seeing him when he wasn't doing that, they added it to the list of things to ask Harry about.

"What's wrong buddy? Don't you remember us- we gave you that toffee last year, well, you stole it but no hard feelings, we have more" George stated mirroring his brothers tone.

Dudley still wasn't saying anything more than some odd sounds that sounded like somebody stepping on a very small mouse.

"What's wrong Dudders? Owl got your tongue?" Fred pressed

"Or maybe you're a little tongue tied?" George continued

"I know a sweet that could help with that" Fred grinned at his twin's bad pun

Dudley was shaking at this point, glancing between the two of them as if they could breathe fire and would roast him any second. Suddenly, he turns around and bolts in the other direction, leaving both the twins and his bag behind.

The two shared a glance, debating whether they should give chase or not before eyeing the bag. Finally, Fred said what they were both thinking:

"What the hell? I know he has a thing with magic but that was just strange?"

"Do you reckon he can talk?" George replied

It was at this point both twins started wondering if there was something wrong with his tongue still, feeling the decision not to sell those sweets yet was a better one than they realised (they still hadn't managed to get the tongue to stop growing which posed a safety risk if a child ate it with no adult around to stop the growth- they would never risk a life for a joke… well, not an innocent life).

"I'm pretty sure he can- he was there at the station when they picked up Harry and I saw him talking to a girl" Fred said "I guess he was just surprised"

Deciding not to pursue him the twins turned their attention to Dudley's bag. It was a largish suitcase with no tag or lock.

"You know George" Fred said with the glint returning to his eye "I reckon it's about time we do our neighbours a good deed, after all, they'll want this case back"

George smirked. They picked up the bag and headed towards number 4 hoping to give more than just the suitcase to Harry's relatives.

As they approached the house they were surprised to see something else: the drive had two cars, Harry's uncle was home. Usually they wouldn't have worried, however through all the humour of Harry's cousin's odd behaviour they had forgotten one thing- his uncles temper. Suddenly worried as to what would happen when his uncle heard about their arrival and his son's encounter they rushed to the door- better to confront Dursley now and keep their friend from harm's way than sit and strategise. If someone got called- they were just returning a lost bag to their new neighbours.

Vernon Dursley had just gotten home early- his wife had called hysterical to the point he could barely make out anything other than there here and something about neighbours. He had decided to simply come home and figure it out than.

When he came through the door his wife practically jumped into his arms.

"Petunia, get a hold of yourself" he snapped, he really had no time for hysterical women "what's the matter"

Calming down Petunia explained what happened; how she had gone to see the new neighbours only to be confronted by those Freaks the boy hung around with and learn two of them had moved into the house across the street!

Before he could respond there was a knock at the door, opening it he saw two of the redheads who just last year destroyed his living room and attacked there son, he saw red.

"JUST WHAT DO YOU FREAKS THINK YOU'RE DOING HERE?" he bellowed, turning purple "HOW DARE YOU SHOW YOUR FACES, YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED!"

Before either wizard could retaliate Petunia gave yet another shriek, pointing at the bag next to them.

"W-w-what have you done to my ickle Dudleykins? Where's my son!" she demanded, turning white having realised she hadn't collected him and now the brutes have done something to him! They probably turning him into some creature like a toad or a fly, her poor baby!

Fred was the first to answer- looking murderous "we haven't done anything to him!" He yelled back

"He was walking down the street, saw us, and bolted forgetting his bag"

"We just brought it back- really, you should teach your son not to leave things laying around" George added in a snappy tone, seeing these foul people put the two into a rare bad mood and they were not going to put up with their ridiculous intolerance!

Vernon looked livid "if you don't leave my house this second and undo whatever mambo jumbo you did to my son I'll skin you and that brat your kind dumped in my house!"

At that moment Fred and George both pulled out their wands simultaneously pointing them at Vernon Dursley.

"Funny you should mention Harry"

"We've been hearing some rather nasty rumours lately and were wondering if we could step inside"

"Just to check on him"

"Like we discussed"

"At the station" they finished in unison.

"The little freak's not here" Vernon spat "and if you know what's good for here you soon won't be either"

Fred and George looked at each other, but just as they opened there mouths to say something they herd something that made their blood freeze.

A scream. Harry's scream.

 **Gonna leave it at that for now- hope you like this chapter. The next one may be another shorter one with Harry finally finding out about the twins new living arrangements, with the one after being longer. Sticking to the plan; the order should make an appearance in that one- then things should get more fun ;)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello again- sorry for the cliff hanger. I'm not completely satisfied with how the last chapter turned out, I felt Dudley and the Twins interaction was kinda weak, I did look into Dudley's part's in Half Blood Prince but he didn't really do much but look scared (I tried to capture that but not sure I did it too well). I decided to keep the first interaction brief simply because I think Dudley would need a chance to get over the shock before any good interactions could take place. He will be getting his own chapter soon (looking at his current thoughts and having more interactions with his parents, Harry, and the Twins).**

 **As usual I don't own Harry Potter (if I did Fred would have definitely lived)**

Fred didn't even register moving, if he had been thinking of anything outside that scream he would have almost thought he'd operated. As it was his mind was on one track: he had to save Harry!

George was in a similar state with a thousand questions rushing through his mind; why was Harry screaming? How seriously was he hurt? Was it his relatives? Deatheaters? Why didn't feel like he was moving despite his legs flying up the stairs? Despite all these questions there was only one thought that registered: faster!

The second the two reached the door they slammed into it, relieved to find it wasn't locked this time, and tried to prepare for whatever horrors may be behind the door.

The light was off, but the light from the window was enough to reveal a terrifying sight; Harry was on the bed looking for all the world like a corpse. The only thing assuring them he wasn't was his frantic thrashing and heavy breathing, thankfully he'd stoped screaming.

Recognising one of his nightmares the twins edged closer. Both were relieved to learn Harry wasn't in any immediate danger, but were unsure the safest way to wake him, or even if they should. Taking a closer look they found Harry's condition was worse than they could have imagined; had he eaten at all since Hogwarts? He was so thin! And pale, his skin almost translucent with the sole exception of his closed eyes, almost black from the shadows of exhaustion, eyelids quivering as his eyes darted around below. Shadows fell across his gaunt cheeks making his thins face appear skeletal.

Unwilling to spend any longer seeing his friend in such distress Fred stepped forward and gently took his shoulder, planning to shake it to wake him.

Until he felt a sharp blow to his face.

Sitting up with a start Harry frantically looked around, still trying desperately to shake the ruminants of the latest nightmare from his mind. As he woke he recognised two figures in his room- one leaning over seemingly checking on the other who was knelt down by his bed clutching his face. He then registered a slight throbbing in his knuckles. Slowly he registered more details about the two, primarily the hair, the bright red hair which he had only seen belonging to one family. The Weasley's! Wait, what were the twins doing in his bedroom? DID HE JUST PUNCH ONE OF THE WEASLEY TWINS? Oh he was in so much trouble! Harry could only hope he had a chance to flee to another country before Molly Weasley had a chance to find out.

"Are you alright?" He rushed out "I'm so sorry! Are you alright"

"Well, he's awake now" joked Fred (sounding slightly strange as he was pinching his nose in an effort to stop the blood).

"I guess that's one way to do it" his brother replied looking slightly anxiously between Fred and Harry (though weather it was because he was worried Harry may lash out again or just worried if Fred was alright, or just shaken from what just happened was unclear).

"I am so sorry" Harry continued "let me help you" he held out a tissue while looking around for some of the pain potions he had secretly brewed before coming back to Privet Drive.

"No worries" Fred insisted with a grin "it's not broken"

"Are you sure?"

"Harry my friend, trust me, six siblings, six years playing beater on the quidditch team, and a lifetime of pranks will teach you to recognise these things" George assured him with a wink, having calmed down a fair amount knowing Fred was OK (though still shaken by Harry's sickly appearance). With a quick flick of his wand Fred's nose was back to normal and the blood cleaned away.

Harry looked between the two with a thousand questions running through his head ranging between; is Fred OK, where are the Dursley's, to should I write a will before seeing their mother, to what are the twins doing here? For now he decided to start with the latter as the first had been addressed and the Dursley's hated being in the room with one wizard, let alone three.

"What are you two doing here?" he asked

The twins shared a look, grins spreading across their identical faces and the twinkle he knew so well lighting up their eyes as though they just realised something that both exhilarated and relieved them. Looking at Harry they said in unison:

"We're your new neighbours!"

To say Tonks was annoyed would be an understatement. She had gotten an emergency notice stating that, once again, the slime-ball Mundungus had skipped his post resulting in her being told to drop everything to spy on Harry; a job she hated as it was boring as Harry didn't seem to do much over the summer, frustrating as she had been told she couldn't be seen or interfere despite the fact she often wanted to give his so called family a good talking to or even a quick hex, and finally because she didn't feel right spying on him. She knew harry hadn't been told- though after last year he probably figured it out- or been asked for permission, and she hated how any complaint about his family made by the Order to Dumbledore had only been met with a sad sigh and reminded that the blood wards take precedence to Harry's happiness. She was definitely gonna kick some sense of responsibility into Mundungus when she got her hands on him, and thanks to her gift she could have some very big feet.

To add to her frustration she had got there only to see Fred and George Weasley were already there- she hadn't even known they were allowed to do this job for the Order, not for lack of skill, rather lack of willingness to not 'bother Harry' as Dumbledore put it. They had been walking towards Harry's house looking in rather fowl moods.

Curious as to why they hadn't bothered with a concealment charm and why they were just walking down the street talking rather than watching from a post she considered approaching them. However upon seeing the looks on their faces she opted against it: a bad tempered Weasley was a dangerous thing to encounter. Instead, knowing an order meeting would be about to start she decided to head back to HQ and make some enquiries (and if possible sniff out Mundungus). With that she appriated away, unaware that the news she was bringing was about to cause a whole lotta trouble.

 **Hey guys- me again. Hope you're all enjoying the story, please let me know what you think (it could be anything from if you think I'm doing ok keeping people in character, to improvements to how you feel about the direction the stories going- especially tone, again, I wan't to keep it as a blend of mostly funny with serious mixed in but unfortunately need to get a few serious bit out the way to get to the humour, now thats out the way it's time for the funnier stuff). Sorry if there are any spelling issues (had to turn off the spell checker as it wan't letting me write words like quidditch or appirate without changing them to stuff like operate). Anyway- as I promiced the Orders reactions should be in the next chapter along with some more lighthearted Fred and George scenes (gonna avoid any spoilers but will say this, they brought a gift for Harry- try and guess what)**


	7. Chapter 7

**I don't own Harry Potter etc.**

"What do you mean 'the Weasley twins were already there'?"

Mad Eye Moody was furious, Harry Potter was supposed to be one of their greatest assets in this war and as far as any of them knew he was currently unguarded while two wizards were running around his house! Everyone in the Order knew the twins were not guards and who was to say it was even them? It could be death eaters in disguise, sent to spy on the boy. Maybe they planned to release some fowl magical beast into the house, or place him under the imperious, or kidnap him! Mabey there were two so one could deliver him while another took his place, there was no telling how low the scum that followed the dark lord would go; something he learned the hard way. That was it, the second he saw 'Harry Potter' he was going to make sure he was who he claimed!

As Moody sat there contemplating what he knew about Harry that dark forces didn't (something which was proving surprisingly difficult as he hadn't really met the boy much and certainly never had a heart-to-heart) the rest of the order was worried about what could be going on(minus the plans to curse Harry- they felt that may be counterproductive).

Meanwhile, Dumbledore was feeling something he rarely felt: confusion. His wards had indicated no dark forces in the vicinity of Privet Drive, and when he probed deeper he confirmed the magical imprint of Fred and George Weasley, two people he had specifically told to stay away. Times like these he felt Snape may have a point: Gryffindor's could certainly be troublesome.

Still, the question remained. "Why were they there?"

Looking around the table he saw most of the order discussing the issue, with topics ranging from weather they should bring the twins back or find out why they were there first to who should go on guard duty and whether they should go into the house to check on Harry. He also noticed that for some reason Moody had interrupted the Weasley parents worried discussion to demand Molly told him Harry's favourite sandwich (peanut butter according to Molly- though Dumbledore could have sworn it was cheese). Getting back on topic he called the table to attention.

"People please, I think we can all agree the best course of action here is to establish Harry's safety and decipher our identical friends motives" he stated calmly "now- Tonks, as you were the one to see them please go and approach the two Weasley's and enquire about their presence, meanwhile Kingsley, would you be so kind as to check on Harry and resume the guard post?"

"I should go too!" Moody demanded "Tonks may need back up and I want to check Potter for 'curses' or concealment charms!"

"I can assure you Alastor, Tonks will be quite safe, these are the real twins and I therefore, very much, doubt Harry has been cursed" Dumbledore replied, deciding not to mention the part about thinking Harry may not appreciate Alastor's prodding and poking; they all knew the man had something of a boundary issue.

"Why don't we go?" volunteered Arther Weasley "Molly and I have the most experience with the twins"

"While that is true I feel they may be more open with Tonks if they feel they can explain their reasoning with less chance of getting into trouble" was his reply before turning to Tonks again "on which note, kindly refrain from informing them of the order being aware of this, act as though you have simply spotted them and gone straight over"

Tonks nodded silently before quickly disapparating away with Kingsley.

…

Back in Privet Drive the three people in question were currently sat around Harry's small room with harry looking rather confused himself

"What do you mean you two are my new neighbours?" He asked, sure he misheard

"Exactly that" George replied with a grin "we have officially move in across the street"

"Number 7, in case you were wondering" Fred replied looking rather proud of himself "questions?"

"Umm, yes, as a matter of fact" Harry stated hesitantly "lots"

When neither twin said anything to that, instead just grinning wider and raising an eyebrow (oddly enough they each raised the opposite eyebrow which made them look almost like one was being reflected in a mirror, though Harry felt that was probably the point) Harry started again

"First off, why? Not that it's not cool, just, I'm not sure this is your kind of neighbourhood, Second, how? Third do the order know? And your family? And are they ok with it? And considering you just performed magic in my room am I going to be blamed for that because I really don't want to be expelled again?" looking like he wanted to say more but didn't know what Harry stopped.

"Shall we answer in chronological order or order of length?" George joked

"Just answer" Harry stated (as pleased as he was to see his friends he really wanted an explanation before his headache got any worse). Sensing Harry's tone Fred started:

"Well go in order of asked than" he started "First: we decided we needed a change of scenery, a fresh canvas of chaos, and lord knows this neighbourhood could use some. I dare say they'll be thanking us for coming before long, besides, what better place than along-side our dear friend?"

"Second" George took over "no the order don't know but I imagine they will find out soon enough"

Harry had the sinking suspicion they were doing what he dubbed- the twin relay, where they swap whos speaking every sentence. Sure enough Fred spoke next

"And neither do our family though, again, that will probably change soon"

"As they are currently unaware they are yet to provide us with an opinion" stated George

"And finally, no, we filled in the paperwork at the ministry so while the trace will pick up on magic in the area, it won't activate unless it's you specifically performing it" Fred finished with a bow "anything else?"

"My relatives?"

"Couldn't be more exited at the gift of our presence, well I assume its excitement from all the shouting" George replied with a wink "we did tell them at the station we'd be checking in after all"

Harry snorted at that.

"Speaking of presents, we have some for you now that you're awake" Fred said exited.

Harry eyed them up and down feeling slightly nervous (Ron had warned him about the twin's presents). Sensing his gaze George continued

"There back at number 7, we got somewhat distracted before coming over give us a sec and we'll be right back" and with that the two disappeared down the stairs leaving harry an odd mix of exited, confused and a little bit nervous. What would the Dursley's do when they got Harry alone? How would the twins respond to being the Dursley's neighbours (he knew from experience living with them was not fun)? Then again, he thought, this will certainly liven up the rest of his summer!

…

Having just arrived in Privet Drive the first thing Tonks saw was the twins crossing the street away from number 4. She gestured to Kingsley to head straight to Harry's room while she approached the twins.

…

Fred and George hurried out of number 4, they wanted to get back soon so Harry wouldn't be alone with his relative for too long but they had both felt the need to get out for a moment to gather their thoughts, for all their joking they were worried. Harry didn't just look unhealthy, he looked like death. He needed help, and they needed to give it to him. Just, not with their tempers bubbling just under the surface. They silently agreed that they would ask for some of their mothers' recipes ASAP- Harry looked to need good food, support, and laughter to help him back on track and luckily they were more than willing to provide it.

At that moment they were pulled from their thoughts by Tonks (whom they learnt to recognise by her hair never being a 'normal' colour as she never looked the same which could make it tricky- and people thought their similarity was confusing). 'Here we go' they thought, the moment of truth.

"Hello Tonks" Fred said, putting as much charm in as he could

"George" she said with a nod, apparently trying to come across as serious (not easy with blue hair and seemingly pink eyes)

"That's Fred, I'm George" George replied looking amused.

Looking between the two Tonks just sighed

"Whatever" she started "why are you two hear? I didn't think you two were allowed to be on guard duty"

"Well my dear, I think you'll find that if you check ministry records my brother and I are now official residents within the area" Fred stated, deciding not to beat around the gnome hole.

"After being advised to seek a new place of residence we decided it would be in everyone's best interest to move into that house" he gestured to number 7 "so we can provide protection and support to our greatest hope in these dark times"

Tonks looked at them like they had sprouted tentacles!  
"You do realise the order will have a fit when they find out!"

Fred suddenly felt very serious

"Tonks, we know it's not what we were supposed to do but trust me when I say it was the right thing to do"  
"If you don't believe us just go look at Harry!" George continued

Tonks looked uncertain so Fred kept pushing

"He's falling apart Tonks, he just lost Sirius, his last hope of escaping the Dursley's early, combine that with the rest of the ministry fiasco, what he went through with Umbridge, death eaters, and You Know Who and he's barely hanging by a thread! He needs someone right now, and the two of us are the prime candidates, we're his friends so we know how to cheer him up without him feeling like he's being baby sat, we're of age so we can do magic if needed, and were part of the order so we can protect him if anything happens. We need to do this before Harry shuts down completely and we lose him for good!"

Tonks shifted from one foot to the other, on the one hand the order would almost certainly fight this, but on the other hand… they were right. You can't abandon someone who has been through half of what harry has and expect them not to break down! She was still amazed he hadn't already!

In the end she came to a decision to put all cards on the table

"I'm going to have to tell the Order what you told me, and I will try and make your case. However you two better prepare for backlash"

"Thanks Tonks" George said "trust us, we know what we're doing"

With that she nodded and left them to go into their house.

…

While all this had been happening Kingsley had appeared in Harry's room, the crack surprising Harry enough to almost throw another punch.

"Harry, are you ok?" Kingsley immediately stated, sounding oddly surprised, his eyes roaming up and down Harry's face and form.

"Yeah, I'm fine" Harry replied, unsure whether or not to mention his previous visitors, they had said the order didn't know, Harry was starting to suspect they had just found out.

"Have you seen anyone suspicious hanging around lately?" Kingsley continued. Harry wished he'd stop staring at him like that, it was very offputting (the twins had looked at him in a similar way for some reason though it was less creepy as they did look at each other occasionally which broke the stare) and he was getting conscious of the fact he couldn't remember when he last left the room to shower.

"No one I'd consider a threat, but I haven't really left my room" he stated, figuring it was honest enough.

"What about Fred and George Weasley?" and there it was, the question he couldn't get around truthfully (despite what the papers said, Harry preferred not to lie unless he felt it was really necessary- like the school was in danger, or if it was to Snape or the Dursley's). Instead he went with the true-but-clearly-not-what-the-question-was-asking route:

"I don't think they count as a real threat, I mean they may pull pranks but they wouldn't do any permanent damage"

Kingsley found himself torn between amused and frustrated

"I meant have you seen them!" he stated in a tone that left no more room for games

"Yes, you just missed them actually" Harry admitted

"Did they say why they were here?" Kingsley pressed

"They mentioned the incident at the station where you guys said you'd be checking in occasionally" again- true, they mentioned it along with other reasons

"Right" said Kingsley, feeling there was more to it but deciding to let it slide for now rather than battle through more vague answers (this kid has spent way too much time around the Hogwarts headmaster) "did they do any magic?" he continued, hoping they wouldn't have to bale Harry out of trouble again

"Not much, just a healing spell of Fred's nose which they said the Ministry wouldn't pick up on"

This worried Kingsley, there weren't many reasons the ministry wouldn't sense magic in this area and all of them had the man thinking they were about to have some interesting conversations between both Dumbledore and the two read heads

"What happened to his nose?" he asked curious

"I punched him" Harry responded sheepishly

Kingsley blinked a few time before giving up and asking

"Why?"

"He tried to wake me from a nightmare and I lashed out, I swear it was an accident!" Harry insisted before adding in a small, almost pleading voice "don't tell Mrs Weasley"

Deciding to take pity on the kid Kingsley smiled

"Don't worry, I have no more wish to entice Molly Weasley's wrath thank you do"

"Thank you" stated Harry

They both fell silent after that. Kingsley felt he should do more, ask how Harry was doing or find out if he needed anything. The kid looked like hell, but he also knew Harry wouldn't say so instead he decided it would be best to collect Tonks and report back both what he learnt and what he saw.

As he was about to leave he paused, something he heard at the table springing to his mind

"By the way Harry, What's your favourite sandwich?"

 **Hey everyone- Thank you so much for the lovely reviews and fave's! I'm really exited to learn people are enjoying this story. A bit of a longer chapter this time so hope you enjoy it. I will try and update ASAP (I'm now working on a second story which I plan to update later today if all goes well, so feel free to check that one out too)**


	8. Chapter 8

Harry wasn't sure what to do next. Kingsley had left after Harry got him to promise he would vouch for the twins, after all, they hadn't done any harm and Harry had argued they knew the wizarding world better than he did so they were more likely to recognise anyone suspicious. Thankfully the older man had promised he'd try and make Harry's case for him.

Now, all the boy could do was wait. He still had lots of questions, how would Dumbledore and the order react? What was this gift the twins mentioned?

... And why did Kingsley want to know his sandwich preference?

Looking around contemplating these questions and more Harry caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and suddenly realised why all three of the wizards had seemed worried; he was a mess! Un-washed, hair not combed in days (not that that would make much difference, and he had definitely lost weight. 'How did I get like this?' Harry wondered, before remembering he had barely moved since getting back from Hogwarts! Only enough to write the mandatory 3 day letter to the order saying he was alive and that was with his uncles prodding. Crossing his fingers, he hoped the twins would still be gone a tad longer and rushed to the bathroom to wash his face and hair in the sink (he'd shower after they left) and apply deodorant. When he got back to his room he opened the window to let some fresh air in and threw on some clean clothes.

When all this was done a thought struck Harry hard. He was up. Up and moving and taking care of himself for the first time in days! For the first time since before being back with his relatives recognised that he was hungry, tired, confused, and had so many emotions flowing around inside him. After feeling numb for so long the sensations hit him like a hurricane! For a long time, even before the Ministry fiasco his main emotional spectrum of the year had been angry, sad, tired, depressed, and frustrated. Sure there were brief intervals like Dumbledore's Army where he'd feel something else but those times were not nearly enough to be considered healthy. Now, despite being nervous, and part of him still holding that strange numbness, he was also feeling warmer emotions, excitement at the prospect of having two friends so close by, amusement at the thought what mischief they would cause, and happiness. The last one was the strangest, like Harry had forgotten what it was. But he was happy, happy his friends hadn't abandoned him again, happy about the kindness they were showing, happy to know they cared about him.

Another thought suddenly hit him like a brick, for the first time since it happened, he wasn't thinking about the ministry fiasco. He wasn't thinking of the Department of Mysteries, or Voldemort, or the Prophecy, or even Sirius. That last one made a knife of guilt impale him. How could he feel happy when he just got his godfather killed? But then, would it help avenge Sirius to simply wallow in misery? Harry was conflicted. How should he feel? It was at times like these he wished Hermione was there.

…

Fortunately, Harry was soon saved from his confusion by the re-appearance of the Weasley twins. They had apparated back this time rather than using the muggle way they left for three main reasons: 1. they wanted to be quick as they now knew the order was sniffing around, 2. they just saw Tonks apparate so they knew the wards wouldn't be thrown off too much, and 3. They didn't thing the Dursley's would open the door a second time.

When they arrived they noticed Harry was looking conflicted, and also cleaner- apparently he had felt the need to spruce himself up a bit now he had guests. They decided not to say anything though as they didn't want him to feel embarrassed. No- Harry had definitely had more than his fair share of negativity, it was high time they brought some fun back to his life!

The two arrived holding a large tank covered by a blanket. The tank would take up about half of Harry's desk and he was starting to get worried as to what could be in it. As the twins put it down on said desk on the end closest to the window Harry decided to bite the bullet and ask.

"What's in there?"

Once again, Fred and George took turns in speaking

"We're glad you asked my good man"

"Given our recent success is thanks to you we decided to bring you a house warming present" (Harry debated with himself if he should point out that it's usually the other way round)

"And as we fully intend to give you full access to our stocks free of charge"  
"We decided something special would be in order"

"And so, with a special shout out to The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures for giving us the licence to make this possible"

"We give you your very own" they whipped the cover away and finished together:

"POFFLE!"

Harry blinked at them as they waited expectedly

"And a poffle is?" he prompted edging towards the tank

"The official group name of our latest triumphs: Pygmy Puffs!"

"What?"

"Take a closer look and see" Fred said, giving him a gentle push forward, grinning

Harry peered into the tank, the bottom was covered in soft sawdust with a few small cat toys dotted about with a dish full of what seemed to be various sweets and a water dish enchanted to look like a mini lake (which Harry noticed had a squid painted at the bottom) with a mini-castle standing next to it which looked just like Hogwarts. And right in the middle were 4 small balls of multi-coloured fluff that seemed to be squeaking. Harry looked closer and saw they each had a small, mouse like face (almost hidden by the fluff with just the nose and two large black eyes poking out) and were each a different colour. They were: blood red with a gold nose, custard yellow with a black nose, forest green with a silver nose, and royal blue with a bronze nose, the house colours!

"There awesome!" Harry grinned "and adorable" he said with a blush

"Our thoughts exactly" smiled Fred

"And these ones are extra special" George added

"How come?" asked harry, examining the blue one which had apparently decided to go for a swim while the green one took a dust bath and the red and yellow ones seemed to be snuffling each other by the sweet bowl

"All the others are pink or purple" Fred explained, we thought we'd make them as back to school gifts as there great for young people, but the colour breeding proved tricky as they always seem to wind up some shade of pink/purple, so we figured we'd leave them to it

"That makes sense" Harry replied "how do you look after them?"

"There low maintenance, so no worries there" George stated "Just keep the water clean and topped up and make sure they have a nice range of sweets to nibble on- mind you watch out for the tongues if you hold them near you face, like their full size counterpart they have a taste for bogies" Harry suddenly recalled reading about something called puff skins in his care of magical creatures book and made a note to look them up

"There durable" Fred continued "so don't worry if you drop one, though they like being handled so wont wiggle much and will happily perch on your shoulder"

"Other than that, fresh sawdust once a fortnight and you're set, there house trained so they don't need to stay in the tank permanently as long as they have a newspaper- they don't go much anyway, but I would recommend you train Hedwig not to mistake them for food before letting them roam about" George finished

"Go on mate- say hello" Fred egged Harry on hopefully, Stage two was officially in progress, they say pets are great for a person's mental state and the two brothers figured these were perfect; special, cute, friendly, and not likely to drop dead anytime soon.

Harry reached into the tank and put his hand flat on the bottom, palm up. The balls of fluff scurried over immediately and started to sniff his hand before climbing on. Harry lifted them up and started stroking them gently with his other hand, using a finger per puff. He laughed slightly as their fur tickled his nose and the red one started to lick his finger.

"How do you tell gender?" Harry asked, trying to think of names for them

"These are all girls" Fred stated with a smile, glad to see his friend smiling "the one issue we have is they breed like crazy if you mix them

'Well' Harry thought 'the red one won't be Godric', though he was kinda glad as he didn't feel like calling the green one Salazar.

"Guy's, this is amazing!" Harry exclaimed "I don't know how to thank you enough"

"No thanks needed Harry" George said. Harry gently placed the small creatures back in the tank but kept stroking them. Suddenly, he remembered something

"Kingsley was here just before you left!" Harry exclaimed, looking between the two "he was asking about you and why you were here- I was able to make some case for you but I'm not sure it will be enough!"

Fred and George just smiled at Harry, they somehow knew Tonks wasn't alone

"That's OK mate" George started "we just saw Tonks so we figured we were busted"

"Never fear though!" Fred exclaimed dramatically, getting another laugh from Harry "we are prepared for the mighty onslaught and have our case prepared for battle!"  
"Plus- this whole move is legal so they can't actually do much about it" George added with a wink

Seeing Harry and how much he'd changed with a few minutes of friendly presence they felt they had more of a case than ever that what they did was right.

Let the Order do their worst, if they dared!

 **OK everyone- contest time! Rather than pick names myself I decided what Harry calls his Poffle (yes: according to my research a group of pygmy puffs is called a poffle) I'm leaving it up to you guys, you can leave suggestions and I'll pick either the most popular, or if there's a split the most interesting and give a shout out to the winner(s)! Good Luck Everyone :D**

 **Anyway- I figured the Twins would have to have gotten a licence as experimental breeding is illegal and while they may not stick to rules, I'm pretty sure they would need to keep what they sell legally. Unfortunately I couldn't find there official diet so let's just say they have a role in teaching kids to share sweets.**

 **Slightly shorter Chapter than last time- it was going to be longer but I decided to post it as it is for two reasons: 1. the next part will be focusing on the Order and I want that to be fairly long, and 2. I wanted to give you guys some time to vote for the names, I'll try and leave it a few day's but will still do my best to update soon.**

 **Until thank: happy reading!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Wow- It's been way longer than I planned, sorry!**

 **I just wanted to say thank you for all of your kind reviews so far- they are really encouraging and I will continue to try to respond to as many as I can!**

 **Rather than bore you all by prattling on here lets dive right in: As usual I own nothing and while I wish I could make money doing this I don't (seriously skint and looking for a job: just one of many reasons I've not been around)**

The order hadn't moved since Tonks and Kingsly had left, they simply waited in the kitchen ready to intervene if there was trouble (plus they were all eager to find out what was going on).

There had been some entertainment while waiting due to the arrival of Mundungus who promptly faced the wrath of one Molly Weasley. She was furious: he had left Harry alone and unguarded so he could gallivant around doing Merlin knows what! Needless to say by the time she had finished with the tongue lashing he was three shades lighter and looked like he needed a hanky (and some new trousers). Dumbledore almost felt bad that he would have to punish him after the dressing down the man had just got, he still would (after all, the man needs to learn) he would just feel bad about it.

This drew a chuckle out of Remus who had arrived just after the two had left and been updated over Molly's shouting. As amusing as it was to see Mundungus get put in his place he was immediately concerned about Harry. Harry was all he had now to remind him of his best friends, he couldn't stand the thought of any harm coming to him. True Remus had the order but they couldn't compensate for James and Sirius! Hell, he even found himself missing the old Peter at times- though the thoughts of him quickly turned to anger. But more than that: Harry himself was special to him.

The young teenager was special in his own right: not just how he looked like his father but also his own personality. The boy may have a one sided lean when it came to his parents looks (Remus still couldn't get over how similar he was to James yet the eyes were exactly Lily) but he was a true mix when it came to his mind: James's fun, Lily's kindness, his Quidditch, her brains, his sense of adventure, her temper; the list went on. Yet on top of that there was always something else, something distinctly 'Harry'. The fact that the boy could be so selfless when he had lost so much, more than he even knew: Remus never told Harry this but Lily and James had been prepared to try for another baby soon before they had to go into hiding as they didn't want Harry to be alone. That thought pained him: Harry, despite his parents' wishes, was alone. He would be forever isolated in one way or another- even in crowds, his fame, his destiny, even at the Dursley's. Remus had never met the muggle family but he was sure Harry didn't fit into it from the stories he'd heard. Sure he had his friends, but Remus couldn't shake the feeling that Harry had secrets, secrets he wouldn't tell even to them. Combine that with the fact that he only saw his friends at Hogwarts, and the fact that they couldn't help him with everything, even now- sure he had people watching him, but who was actually supporting him. Times like these Remus wished he could change things; that he could be there for Harry, that James and Lily were alive… That Sirius was alive.

The pain of losing his friend was still like a raw wound: open, bleeding, almost festering. He felt like he had only just had Sirius returned to him, like he had received a miracle only for the miracle to retract. In a way it had: for years he had been in the same state: the last of the marauders, of the other three two were dead and one a traitor. Than things had changed, it became only one who was gone, and one who was a traitor, leaving him with one last friend, a reminder of the good old days before war and grief. Now it was back to how it was before, the only difference being two of the roles reversed and the traitor being free. If anything it was worse now: to have had that brief release only to be clamped back into the vice of misfortune, to have known one who he viewed more like a brother than friend had suffered needlessly for 12 years while the true traitor went unpunished, free to do harm to what little Remus had left, it was almost more than he could bare!

Remus was so lost in thoughts he probably would have missed the others return if it weren't for the fact that in the crowded room Tonks somehow managed to appear on the back of a chair and promptly fell on him. Once they were untangled they both straightened up looking embarrassed but not hurt

"Sorry Remus- I was aiming for the table" she blushed

"No problem: no harm done" he replied "wait- why the table?"

"I figured the room would be crowded and didn't want to land on anybody" she replied trailing off slightly at the end, seeing the irony.

A cough brought the two back to reality.

"Well my friends" Dumbledore started "what news do you bring?"

The question quickly snapped the mood of the room back from awkward amusement to a mix of worry and confusion. The two aurors glance at one another, each waiting for the other to go first. In the end it was Kingsley who spoke up

"Well to start with, Harry Potter is… unharmed" he hesitated, unwilling to say the boy was fine when he was clearly suffering- just not from the twins presence "he is aware of the two Weasley's presence and seems to have no objections, in fact he made quite a good case for them to remain"

"Yes but WHY are they there" Moody interrupted

"They live there" Tonks blurted out. At everyone's bemused gaze she decided to elaborate

"Apparently they needed a place to live and decided to move into number 7 across the street from number 4, they felt it was a good opportunity to help the order by providing an extra level of security while also providing some support to Harry in these… hard times"

"I see" said Dumbledore, his voice was so calm he might have been commenting on the weather, but there was a look in his eye indicating a storm was brewing

"It may not be what we wanted them to do but I believe they were right to do it, making them leave now will do more harm than good" argued Kingsley making Tonks think back to what was said less than an hour ago 'we know it's not what we were supposed to do but trust me when I say it was the right thing to do'. Thinking back, wasn't that what courage was: doing the right thing no matter the consequences to yourself.

Dumbledore almost looked surprised by the outburst but simply gestured for the man to continue his point

"While the boy isn't hurt physically by any curse or injury… he's not fine. You just need one look at him to see that, he's sinking and I don't blame him: the tournament, the graveyard, the attacks- both physical and mental, the ministry slandering him, and now loosing Sirius, it's a wonder the stress alone hasn't destroyed him yet. If anyone can give him support, or even just give him a laugh it's those two. Trust me- I saw him and the boy looked like death- worse than after the Ministry battle, but he also had a spark that was not there after that battle, and I do believe it was because moments before he had been shown he was not doing this alone. Trust me Albus, he's been isolated enough, the boy needs some support, some friends"

Tonks, remembering the twin's words decided to reinforce the case before Dumbledore could pick it apart: she knew that while Dumbledore would probably want to fight it, it doesn't make it less right

"It's not just cheering Harry up, they can be valuable assets there, they can do magic so if theirs another attack they can help without the Ministry having issues, while in turn there registered to live there which means extra wards will be put in place by the Ministry, they are part of the Order so they'll be up to date on any issues- more so than Harry, plus as pureblood wizards they spent their whole life in the magical world so there more likely to spot anything or anyone that shouldn't be there"

Dumbledore thought for a moment. The two did make a good case, but he still wasn't happy; Harry's family were not pleasant people yet he had to stay there. If the twins didn't like what they saw they could do all kinds of damage, yet he could hardly argue that to the Order. He had to think fast

"I see your cases, yet I still have some concerns, after all our young friends are not the most subtle people, I can't help but fear the idea is risky. Did they say if they had filled in all the paperwork with the ministry? That could grab some unwanted attention, leave some doors open to unwanted visitors" The headmaster asked, plus if the paperwork wasn't done it was more likely he could force them to leave if need be. It was Tonks who replied, and not with what he wanted to hear:

"It's all through but I did a quick follow up on my way back and I must say I was impressed; they did it all legally but almost completely under the radar using a few connections they had- unless someone was looking for it they'd never know. In all honesty they are thier legally so I don't think we could legally force them to leave even if we wanted to"

"I see" Dumbledore started, he glanced around the room trying to gage where everyone stood on the issue: the parents of the two in question looked concerned, while most looked a bit conflicted. Snape and Moody looked unimpressed. He decided to risk it

"I'm still not sure it is for the best, while the intentions behind this are good there are many parts that could go wrong, after all: what do they plan to do when Mr Potter is in school? Still, let's put it to the vote, all in favour" He was sure he would win: people trusted his judgement (with good reason he felt), so he could barely hide his shock when almost every hand in the room went up, even Mr and Mrs Weasley!

…

Molly was conflicted. It was funny how often she felt that when her identical sons were concerned; they were so talented, the skill and though behind every one of their acts of mischief caused her frustration by their pranks to be matched only by admiration (though she never let them know.

As for this… what could she say? For so long she had been desperate for a chance to help the fragile boy who was still strong enough to support her children: since meeting him Ron had become so much more happy with himself, yes there was the insecurity of his friend being famous, but he also gained skill and confidence from their adventures, Ron had built his own identity and benefited from Harry's influence while his lack of fame protected him from many of Harry's trials. And that's not even considering what Harry had done for Ginny! And now, this was the chance- each time she had suggested something it was either stopped, or she felt it wasn't enough, but this: to have 24/7 access to support, comfort and friendship, how could she say no? Maybe it will even encourage a better relationship with his relatives- whenever she saw him as he was about to go back to them or had just returned from them, he looked miserable! If her son's being there would put an end to the misery, then her sons would stay and she would do everything in her power to support them in this decision!

Molly knew she would need to have a serious talk with her sons and figure out the best course of action, she sensed Dumbledore may try and cause trouble and while she trusted the man, she also knew he had made many mistakes where Harry was concerned. Everyone would need to tread carefully if they were going to do this: for the benefit of all involved.

…

Unlike his wife, Arthur was much less confident in his son's decision. He needed to know more details from how their paying for this house to weather they're sure they'll be safe so close to Harry. While Arthur liked Harry and knew his family owed a lot to the boy, that didn't change the fact that (through no real fault of his own) he did attract danger. Arthur was nervous, this one decision could affect the twin's new business, his own place in the ministry, Harry's safety, and countless other things. He knew that in this case his sons were simply trying to help their friend, but it frustrated him to no end that they didn't even consult their parents first! He had hoped they would have outgrown such impulsiveness by now, then again, it was a good idea. He could see where they were coming from and he honestly didn't know what he would have said if they had asked first.

Molly had been fretting ever since they moved out that they were not in a safe location, Diagon Ally was lovely in the day but at night… it had its bad side. Still, he wasn't sure this was quite what either of them had in mind. Still, he would rather talk to his son's and figure out the best course of action together than force them out immediately without hearing them out. He needed to communicate with them, he had already lost Percy through a difference of opinion, and he would not loose Fred or George!

He glanced at his wife, one look into her eyes and he knew what to do: the first chance they got, they were going to number 7 and having a word with their sons!

 **Going to end it there: I wanted to go on to talk about where the Dursley's have been during all this, but I don't know how much time I'll have for writing in the near future so decided to post it as it is. I promise the Dursley's will be next!**

 **So I was originally going to have the Weasley parent's responses be reversed- with Molly being annoyed and Arther supportive, but thinking deeper into their characters I think Molly being the mothering kind, and having heard what she just did, might just be for it, while I can see Arthur having very mixed emotions. Let me know what you think.**

 **Don't forget the name contest: I haven't had any suggestions yet so please vote!**

 **I'll try and post again sooner, until than happy reading!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Wow: First of all I am so sorry this took so long- I've been having some major problems at home which on top of everything else had given me no time to write. Still, excuses wont change anything. I'm going to keep going with both my stories (and am even considering doing some one shots to help prevent writers block and practice different styles without mucking up this story).**

 **This is the long awaited Dudley chapter and takes place around chapters 6 and 7 while Harry is talking to Fred and Grudge and then Kingsley.**

 **Thank you so much for sticking with me and the next chapter s already underway (It's also the chapter where my name contest will finally end so any suggestions should come in now!)**

 **As usual I own nothing and gain nothing but the lovely words you all give me. Thank you so much for all your reviews, they really inspire me to keep going.**

Dudley was freaking out! What were those evil beings doing here? What could they possibly want in a normal neighbourhood like his…? 'Oh yeah: cousin' he thought. It's odd, he never really regarded Harry as a cousin or even a real relative unless his 'kind', as his dad called them, were about. Curious considering they were the whole reason Harry wasn't a part of the family; if he could even try to be normal his parents might treat the boy better, but no: he had to be strange!

Figuring the cost was clear he peaked round the corner only to see his bag was gone, either stolen or taken by those twin nutjobs… so stolen by a thief or stolen by freaks, great. Maybe he could make his dad order Harry to get it back for him. Then again it would probably explode or spew spiders if he did.

Sitting down on the curb Dudley decided to contemplate his options. He would have to get home quickly, that's for sure, but if those two were wandering the streets that probably meant so was Harry.

That thought alone made him think: his cousin was never a sociable person (thanks in part to him he'd admit) but now he was a full blown recluse. He didn't even seem to come down for food! And his mum certainly wasn't providing any… do wizards need to eat? That would certainly explain a lot like how Harry could go a week with no real meals as a child… he'd have to test that theory at some point. Then again maybe not; he liked all his limbs and other body parts in their current location thank you very much, and most certainly not need antlers, extra ears, or anything else these lunatics could think up! They didn't seem to need much provocation. it was odd how the other freaks seemed to humanise Harry in his mind. But why did they always pick on him? He never did any wrong! Sure he argued with his cousin, but so what! It's not like Harry was any better...

Only he was.

Harry had saved him, less than a year ago. Saved him from some fowl creature's just moments after Dudley had been taunting him. That night had been played over and over in his mind. Every word, every sound, every feeling, and that name.

Cedric. Dudley never did learn who he was, but he could figure out one thing:  
He was dead.

Harry, his cousin, knew someone who had just died, and Dudley had mocked him about it. He had mocked him for being traumatised by what must have either been a terrible accident, or from his cousins sleep talking, a murder!

And moments later, less than 2 minutes he'd wager, he'd been saved by the very same boy.

The same boy who's life, now he truly considered it, he- Dudley- had done everything possible to make terrible. Not hard, not uncomfortable: a true definition of living hell.

He'd beaten Harry, isolated him from having friends, mocked him, destroyed what little self esteem he had, framed him knowing he'd receive horrendous punishments from starving to beating to confinement… and yet, in Dudley's own time of need, Harry had risked everything to save him.

He wasn't stupid; they both knew Harry could have been expelled, and if that happened he'd loose his education, his friends, his chance for a job, and with that, his chance to escape a hell Dudley himself had helped to create.

No wonder Harry's friends hated him: a tail and sore tongue were nothing compared to a childhood devoid of love, friendship, or even the most basic rights! Dudley realised there was a major difference between his parents and Harry's friends: when it came to those friends Dudley never got anything from them that he didn't deserve!

He thought back to that night, what he had heard, what he had seen, but most of all: what he had learnt.

He had seen himself, bullying people, both Harry and the other kids at school and in the neighbourhood. Himself feeling hard done by for not having the newest bike while his own cousin had nothing. He had seen how he had hurt so many people. Thing he used to take a spiteful glee in. actions that made him feel powerful. But without any of the joy. It was like all the good times in his life had been shown to him from a twisted and cold point of view. Days spent playing with friends became relentless hours of cruelly tormenting others. His mother's fresh baked cakes became the product of hard and thankless labour from his cousin who's only reward was harsh words and punishment from belts and burns. Christmases became just any other day in which his parents would spoil him while his cousin sat isolated and in pain.

While all these thoughts were flowing though him, like an icy river waiting and wanting to drag him under, a small beam of hope shot through him, like the branch he could cling to and hope it floated him to salvation. It was unexpected and absurd. But it just might work.

Suddenly, he was glad those strange twins had returned! Because just like Harry had saved him from that icy coldness, he would help salvage what was left of Harry's life. He may not be able to change the past but he knew the future could still be saved! All he needed was some help, and with that in mind, Dudley headed home- praying he hadn't missed his window.

…

Dudley returned home to chaos.

His mother was screaming, his father was shouting up the stairs threatening to call the police, Harry was yelling something incoherent (which Dudley recognised as a nightmare), and his suitcase was half blocking the door. Seeing as Harry's nightmares were so common they in no way warranted this reaction and no normal thief would immediately return a suitcase Dudley knew one thing immediately:

The twins were here.

Dudley had a sneaking suspicion it wouldn't be long until he started to permanently associate redheads with chaos.

Seeing that they were already occupied with Harry- and lord knows that guys nightmares went on forever- Dudley decided to starts his plan in a different location: his parents.

Of course the second his mum saw him Dudley was pulled into a tight hug and bathed in kisses and apologies. As she checked him over for harm his dad turned and suddenly it all went quiet besides his mother's occasional sniffing and Dudley's gentil reassurances that he was fine.

After finally calming her down a bit, he was able to manoeuvre her onto the sofa with his dad following (more out of habit than anything else Dudley thought).

"Are you alright son?" Vernon asked

"I'm fine dad: I two of those boys Harry hangs about with and decided to avoid them, but dropped my bag in the process "for some reason he felt the need to assure his parents the bag wasn't stolen.

"Did they harm you? Do you feel any different from before? Please tell me they didn't give you another tail!" His mother started to which Dudley quickly assured her

"They didn't do anything, honest- they didn't even have time!"

At this point his father started to pace: always a bad sign. He was muttering about the police, the army, MI6 and all sorts of nonsense that basically indicated displeasure.

"I think we should leave them alone" Dudley stated simply "we don't know how long they plan to be here but as long as we stay out of the way I doubt they care enough about us to do anything good or bad to us"

"Dudders" his mother exclaimed "have you forgotten about what they did to your tongue?"

"No, but as long as we don't eat anything unknown like floor toffees we should be fine" he reasoned

"But Dudley" his dad started, only to have Dudley interrupt

"What can we do dad? Call the police? And say what: theres a bunch of wizards in my house? No one would believe any of us! Maybe if we show them Harry's being treated well they won't have a reason to hate us, we should show them we can be the better people!"

"We ARE the better people!" Vernon said in a tone that could only be described as a strangled bellow, as if he wanted to scream it at the top of his lungs only to find himself so full of anger it flooded his lungs preventing any air from entering him. His face turning purple helped fuel that illusion.

"Then SHOW it, lead by example!" Dudley reasoned (quoting some poster he'd seen at school)

"But Dudders: they've moved in, they want to be out neighbours"

"Then let them, they'll either have to act normal or the rest of the neighbourhood will drive them out anyway. If we retaliate on them or Harry it will only prove there is a link between us and them and fuel the gossip: while they are here they are fresh meat- no one will try and look into what happens around here or Harry unless we give them a reason to cause a fuss. Leave them and Harry alone and they'll have no choice but to comply or leave" Dudley was praying this would work: he had always been able to manipulate his parents, but this was big. It wasn't just wanting a second pudding, it was asking they be tolerant of the very people they had raised him to loath!

His mum seemed to be buying it, but only because she was so focused on smoothing his hair she seemed to have had all her terror and anger be temporarily drained and replaced by an odd naturalness that came with being between delighted at the prospect of gossip from new neighbours and horrified at the prospect of who said neighbours were.

His dad was still pacing, seemingly contemplating what Dudley had said, and Dudley knew that now was a time for quiet… it all rode on this.

…

There were a few crack like whips at different intervals which had Dudley wondering what was happening upstairs, and he heard someone go into the bathroom at one point.

Eventually, Vernon looked up at his wife and son, apparently having come to a decision.


	11. Chapter 11

**I'm back! Sorry for the long wait (to say things are hectic would be the understatement of the century!) I will try to do better but afraid I can't promise as that will definitely jinx it, so let just say I'll try not to leave it so long next time!**

 **Shout Out to GrangerPotterWeasleyMalfoy for the naming contest: I didn't get any actual suggestions for the names but I did get the suggestion to have Dudley have a say in naming them** **J** **Thank you so much for your kind review!**

 **Once again I don't own HP or any other franchises that could make me rich!**

 **Back to the story!**

To say Dudley was relieved was an understatement. His father had decided to go along with his 'plan' for now, saying it was a cunning strategy (even claiming Dudley would make a good businessman one day with that strategic thinking). Under his relief Dudley had to admit he was afraid. He knew the temper his dad could have: he'd used it to his advantage enough, yet this was different, this time he was risking it turning on him!

He found the thought strange: he'd never even considered that! For all he'd seen his father attacking Harry and his mother swinging frying pans at him, it had never even occurred to him how dangerous they could be! His dad once threw Harry down the stairs, his mother usually aimed for the head when swinging that pan… how many time's had their actions come close to killing his cousin? How 'normal' was it to have such angry, homicidal behaviour to someone so young?

It was then something strange happened.

As Dudley passed his cousins room he heard a noise he had never heard before: his cousin's soft chuckle. Curiosity took over and before he knew what he was doing he was opening the bedroom door where he was met with the strange site of Harry nuzzling a ball of bright red fluff. Edging closer he noticed the thing was moving, and seemed to have a long tongue which seemed to be tickling the raven haired boy's nose.

"What on earth is that?" Dudley exclaimed. Harry started, looking surprised, and seemed to be debating whether to answer, Dudley decided to press further "I know about your buddies across the road so I doubt there'd be any point telling mum or dad, I just wanna know its safe"

Harry rolled his eyes at this, but looked relieved- Dudley understood the lunacy of sounding worried about what looked like a brightly coloured ball of fluff. But then again: Harry's associates could make sweets deadly. In the end Harry must have decided he may as well indulge in his cousin's curiosity

"There called pygmy puffs, Fred and George gave them to me and no, they won't harm you unless you're allergic to fur, which you can't be; you've been in Ms Figgs House" Harry stated bluntly, gesturing with his head to the tank where Dudley saw 3 more balls of fluff. Oddly, Dudley was fascinated, all his life he'd been told no good could come of magic, it was unnatural and dangerous, but there were… cute. Like mice who'd been given a makeover by a 4 year old.

"They look like someone bread mice with candyfloss" he observed cautiously, longing to touch one "those better not be my sweets!" He added, though he doubted it as his diet prevented him from indulging in such luxury.

"I guess they do, and no- they came with the tank: I didn't think you had any sweets left, any you buy you tend to eat before you get home" Harry said sounding a tad defensive, Dudley, wanting to stay on his good side changed the subject

"What are their names?"

"They don't have any yet"

Dudley looked thoughtful at this. "Boys or girls?"

Harry started to look confused, but figured Dudley was just fishing for information that wouldn't pan so he indulged

"Girls"

"So they could be Candy, Flossy, Cotton, and…Fairy?" He finished uncertainly, Harry raised an eyebrow

"Fairy?" he asked

"I think candyfloss can be called something like 'fairy floss'" Dudley replied uncertainly, he didn't think he and his cousin had ever had such a civil conversation for so long, or at all.

"Trust you to know odd facts about sweets" Harry grinned, but oddly, not in a teasing way "cute names, but a tad on the girly side don't you think?"

"Well they are girls" Dudley huffed "I suppose your kind have your own sweets?" he probed, curious to know if it was all deadly

"Yeah" Harry said, by now he was more curious to see if he could actually carry out a pleasant conversation with Dudley than suspicious of his cousins motives, if he could he might well be insane!

"Are they all dangerous?"

"No- the one you had was a prototype for a joke shop, they make a whole bunch of em, like Canary Cremes which make you sprout feathers" Harry stated simply

"Are there any, non-joke ones?" Dudley asked, wanting a heads up if he needed to start avoiding anything

"Yeah: Chocolate Frogs- basically just chocolate, Peppermint toads- they kinda hop around; feels kinda nice, Pepper imps- make your ears smoke, Every flavour beans- like every flavour: from cinnamon to earwax (Dudley cringed at that one), Fizzing Whizzbees- make you float, even Droobles gum" Harry lists, he wasn't sure why he was so willing to talk to his cousin about magical confectionery, maybe because he'd never had someone to talk to who hadn't already tried them, who wasn't raised by dentists.

"What's special about the gum?"

"It makes blue bubbles that float around the room for ages"

"Cool!" Dudley exclaimed, he suddenly regretted never learning more about Harry's world- some of it sounded pretty fun. He looked at the balls of fuzz again: Red, Yellow, Blue, and Green…

"You say the bubbles are blue right?"

"Yeah… why?"

"So the blue one could be Droobie, or Bubbles?"

"I guess. Why the sudden eagerness to name my pets? You planning on stealing them?" Harry asked, only half joking (he kinda liked Bubbles), placing the red one back in the tank and closing the lid

"I just think there kinda cool" Dudley said nervously. He really wanted to get a closer look but wouldn't come into the room any further "I mean, if they look like sweets, and eat sweets, maybe you should stick with the theme"

Both boys were suddenly distracted by the slamming of the front door. Before they could question it they both heard Petunia calling Dudley that his show was on and he hurried downstairs.

Harry sat and thought for a moment. Today was getting stranger and stranger, the twins moving to the suburbs, the order showing up, Harry's new mix of feelings, and now Dudley and he had just spoken without any real insults being thrown around! Maybe the pressure was finally getting to him.

Conflicted he sat in his chair by the desk and looked at the puffs. Bubbles did suit the blue one, she seemed to like water and was plenty energetic. In the end Harry couldn't escape the idea, and after debating all sweets, both muggle and magic he came up with names he thought even Dumbledore would like:

Bubbles, Peppermint, Beenie, and Canary.

…

…

…

Molly Weasley should be used to this! She had been in this situation too many times: one of her kids (or all too often two) had gotten into trouble and she had to make a journey to try and sort thing out.

But this was different.

She and her children had faced stakes of detentions, expulsions, even criminal charges! And yet this was far more extreme- this time her sons were facing the wrath of Albus Dumbledore and the threat of Voldemort rolled into one choice!

In other word's… Molly was scared.

She had supported he son's decisions when she first heard about it, but now she was standing here. On the street that heald the hope of her families future… she was having doubt.

Never before had she realised how smothering the weight of such things could be! Yes she had seen the first war, witnessed unimaginable horrors and fought her way through… but this was different. This time there was no sheltering her children.

She had never had the delusion of thinking there was any choice other than winning: her family were 'blood traitors'. They were distinctive. And they were known.

There would be no hiding if they lost, and even if they weren't so easy to recognise they couldn't; Arther may be an 'expert' with muggles but there was no way they could hide among them- they were just too reliant on magic!

At first her main fear when Ron had befriended Harry was her youngest was Ron would feel inadequate, or unintentionally insult Harry, or even that Harry's fame and wealth would make him feel better than Ron! But since actually meeting and interacting Harry she knew those fears were nothing short of ridiculous! True Ron had felt jealousy and they had their ups and downs but the fact was Harry was one of the best friend's Ron could have!

But now she was faced with another side of the matter: it didn't matter how good a friend Harry was, he would always have people hunting him- even if Voldemort dropped dead now, thier would be his followers, and if they were stopped more would arise. It was a sad realisation: no matter what he did Harry would never be safe; his chance for a normal life died with his parents.

And anyone who was associated with him was at risk of being caught in the crossfire.

Molly shook herself from the line of thought: she had already accepted years ago her family would always be a target, why shouldn't they be friends with the boy they owed so much too! The fact was it wasn't just a case that they 'owed' it to Harry! Harry was a genuinely good person who deserved all the kindness he received and more!

With this in mind she took her husband's hand not realising just how close his thoughts were to her: Harry deserved a decent life and it would be nothing short of selfish to deny that for the sake of a small fraction of safety!

As they walked down the road she glanced up at the windows of the line of identical houses either side of her.

Finally they stood in the road, between number 4 and number 7.

A glance up at the windows had Molly making two observations:

1\. Her sons were visible standing in an upstairs room of number 4- clearly talking to someone (presumably Harry)

And 2. There was some kind of damage around said room's window- as if something had been ripped out of the walls.

With a shared glance Arther knocked on the door. They could hear someone shuffling about, as if whoever was standing behind the door couldn't decide if they should open it.

In the end the door opened to reveal Harry's uncle.

The man had an odd look on his face: the sickening grin of someone with a hidden ace up their sleeve, an ace soaked in poison that he could use to kill you without you even realising.

On one side of the man his wife could be seen peering out of the living room, on the other she saw the shadow of Harry's cousin going up the stairs.

Wanting to keep things civil Molly held out a hand to greet the man. He eyed the offered hand but made no move to shake it, or even acknowledge the greeting. Instead he started to eye her husband

"Well, I must say this is a better entry than your last; all my furniture is intact" the man said with an odd tone. The comment was strange but she had heard that there had been an issue with the fireplace before, and given how nervous Arther looked (though only she would know from just looking at him) she guessed she'd heard a somewhat watered down version. It wasn't just the comment and the smile that had her nervous: his voice sounded like it was able to sear your very soul while simultaneously freezing the blood in your veins. He reminded Molly of the Greek Minotaur: half man, half bull, and probably bad news.

Unfortunately just at that moment she heard the sound of apperating and knew her sons had just left the house, leaving them stuck dealing with Harry's relatives.

With a nervous cough Arther decided to play along

"Yes, sorry again about that: quite unintentional I hope you realise"

"What do you want?" came the sharp response from Petunia, Molly had never really interacted with the woman directly but couldn't help but notice she always looked like she thought she was surrounded by filth. Filth that risked to contaminating her (was that why Harry had so many chores? Did she have some kind of phobia of dirt or germs? Somehow Molly couldn't help but doubt it was so simple).

"We were wondering if our sons were here" Molly answered politely, knowing full well they weren't but doubted the muggles knew about operation.

"They were" the man replied "they forced their way in without being invited and ran up the stairs, but the since ran back out. Thiers been nothing but strange cracking coming from up their ever since"

Immediately the two Weasley's realised that for whatever reason the twins must have been, left for something and then started to apparate back and forth. Before either of them could reply Petunia piped up once more, stepping into the hall but still safely behind her husband (not that she could have squeezed past him with his girth)

"I guess manners isn't a common teaching amongst _your_ kind" putting an emphasis on the 'your' as if they were a different species. A lower form of life like how an egle would view a slug! Molly suddenly saw red

"Actually I think you'll find it is, along with basic respect and courtesy, I trust you know what those are?" She asked in a sweet tone that promised blood if the other woman didn't check her attitude quickly.

And suddenly it was on.

Arther took a subtle step back from his wife- wise enough to know when it was best to simply shut up and let his wife take the lead; as much as he wanted to give the Dursley family a piece of his mind he also knew no-one could put people in their place better than the mother of his children who somehow managed to maintain control over seven children (children who took down ancient curses, wrangled dragons, brought a school to its knees, defeated giant chess pieces, survived being possessed by the Dark Lord himself… and Percy).

"At least my son never attacked an innocent boy with no provocation! My Dudley barely recovered!"

"My sons may have pulled a prank that went too far, but at least they were NEVER bullies! You want an innocent victim why not look at your sisters son!"

"She was no sister of mine! Flaunting her freakish behaviour like that- she was dangerous and her son is no better!" it was strange how the woman could speak in a deadly low tone that was so quiet it was almost certainly heard by anyone outside the four of them yet still her voice sounded like a screech.

Molly hadn't realised it was possible but suddenly she was even angrier than before! Having met Lily she knew what a wonderful person she was! How DARE this woman suggest either she or her son were anything but the kind people they were? Molly felt she would have hexed her then-and-their if she hadn't been surprised by what came next.

Suddenly Arther spoke up, his tone calm and level, as if making an enquiry at work

"Did Lily ever attack you? With magic or otherwise?"

Petunia looked taken aback at the simple question, and for a moment her mask of 'righteous' anger seemed to crack slightly, before slipping back into place with ease

"Of course she did! She stole my parents love form me! She was always the _special_ one while nothing I did was ever enough! She had no qualms about trying to hurt me every chance she got, she was a petty, jealous, FREAK!"

"So petty as to mistreat a child for a perceived slight from childhood? So jealous that she needed to tread on anyone different just to give herself a sense of self-worth? Because I'll tell you something: I have seven children. I love them all, each and every one of them, with the same protective fierceness that reassures me I wouldn't hesitate to walk to the end of the earth for them. And yet they are all different. They all have their own needs and therefore I have no choice but to treat them different. As a result I have little doubt they must all think I have a favourite, and none of them think it's themself. Maybe the boys think it's my daughter: being the only girl she is more likely to get the newer outfit where the boys might have a hand-me-down. Maybe she thinks it's my eldest- who because of his age gets the most freedom. Maybe he thinks it's the younger children who I say he has to look out for. The reality is they are all wrong; I have no favourite. Maybe your sister had a gift you did not, but who saw more of your parents? Did you spend months away at a time to learn how to control the gift she possessed? Unable to make friends back home for she couldn't tell anyone her secret: a secret she never asked for that would forever isolate her from the world she grew up in? I know if I could only see one of my child for a few weeks and the others the rest of the time I would try to get all I could out of that precious time with the child who was being taken into a new world where she would have undoubtedly felt very alone and scared at first. A world she and your parents would have known nothing about. Your parents wouldn't have been able to help her adapt, for what did they know of our world? I may have never met your parent, but I did meet your sister, she was kind and she loved you, and I am certain your parents loved you just as much as they did her.

So ask yourself this: who's truly petty? The second your nephew was left in your care you had a chance. A chance to try and balance that love. You could have been a part of the world you never had a chance to be a part of before. And more than that you could have learnt enough to help him and your son form the bond you never had with your sister. Instead you not only isolated Harry from our world, but yours."

Molly was speechless. Arthur's tone had been level, calm, like a father explaining a particularly tricky homework question to his child, not just giving an answer but simply trying to get them to think through the logic and work it out themselves.

Petunia looked like she didn't even know what to say let alone feel, she just stood there staring. An odd sensation came over the room, like all the anger had drained out, like it couldn't fit in the same hallway with the calming presence of the red-haired father.

Until Vernon shoved them out the door slamming it behind them. They heard Petunia call her son downstairs to watch some kind of show.

Well- it had been worth a shot.

 **OK- that's it for now, I don't know if I'm quite happy with this chapter (I had planned on Molly tearing the Dursley's to pieces, but I could just see Arther knowing his wifes temper trying to be diplomatic, preferring instead to use reason to plant seeds of doubt and let them bloom on their own before letting his wife murder anyone- that could just be me but I always imagined him playing chess with Ron and that being where Ron got the sense of strategy from- let me know if you agree).**

 **Don't worry though- there will be more Molly vs Petunia**

 **Sorry if anyone's OOC**

 **Next Chapter should bring back out favourite Headmaster and have some more Dudley/Twin interaction (who knows- maybe Dudley won't run from them this time). Now all the dramas out the way for now things should get a lot more fun** **J**

 **In case you were wondering:**

 **Blue= Bubbles (after Droobles Gum)**

 **Red= Beenie for Bertie Botts beans**

 **Yellow= Canary (for Canary Creams)**

 **Green= Pepper (for both Pepper imps and Peppermint toads)**

 **Fun fact: the fact about cotton candy being known as fairy floss in some places like Australia is apparently true (never knew that until I started looking up sweets for the names)**


	12. Chapter 12

**To the Guest Reviewer who responded to the naming contest: I'm really sorry but I posted the chapter with their names the day before your review came in!**

 **I will try to work your ones in another way (trust me- I've had something planned for a while that will fit perfectly).**

 **I Don't own Harry Potter any more than I live on Saturn.**

Dumbledore was baffled. Never before had an Order vote not gone his way- not because he made it like that… it just sort of happened; people trust him and by extension his judgement. You rarely need to manipulate when people seem to naturally follow you.

And yet- since last year he couldn't help feeling he was losing his control over situations.

It was ironic really: all that fuss with Fudge fearing He and Harry were planning on taking his power and control, when in reality the only one who seemed to be losing power was Dumbledore himself!

Though it was true Harry was at the centre of this even he had to admit it was hardly by the boys own doing; Harry certainly didn't WANT to be special. He just was. And as a result people tended to flock to him and take note of his opinion.

However this matter with the Weasley twins was simply no good. Yes Dumbledore knew the Dursley family was foul, he'd hated to see an innocent child left with them and whilst it had been hard he had forced himself to keep an arm's length. It wasn't out of spite, or manipulation, or any of the other reasons he knew the few who were aware of the situation thought. It was just the blood wards were too important! Harry had to stay there!  
No one knew this, but as a child there were incidences where Harry had tried to leave. He had run away several times, a quiet tip off to the police and he was back. People had tried to put him in foster care, a few forms and he was back. It broke Dumbledore's heart to do it, but some things were bigger than the happiness of one boy.

He had a plan!

He had tried to prepare Harry to give him the confidence for the upcoming tasks he would face (the while philosophers stone fiasco had practically been designed for the boy! The later ones just sort of happened).

True he tried to shelter Harry where he could: he kept the prophesy from him, didn't tell him about Sirius, and each time it backfired and Harry wound up more hurt than ever!

The truth of the matter it came down to this: the loss of one child's happiness, or the loss of hundreds- if not thousands- of lives!

Dumbledore loves and cares for Harry but that doesn't change the fact that Harry has a purpose! One Dumbledore spent a long time working on: he had a plan!

And as good as these boys' intentions were Fred and George Weasley were _NOT_ part of that plan!"

And yet- it seemed they were now! Like all of Harry's friends it seemed they were unwilling to simply let Harry face his true destiny. They would be involved.

Dumbledore was the most powerful wizard there was. Yet he seemed powerless against these school children, who didn't seem to want anything more than to be a part of Harry's life.

That in itself was no bad thing. But Dumbledore knew this story would only have one ending, one which was not happy. The closer others were to Harry, the more they would be hurt, if not physically, emotionally.

…

…

…

Neither Arther nor Molly quite knew what to do.

They had both just been forced out of the Dursley house and were now torn between barging back in and taking Harry out with them, or doing what they came to do and seeing their sons. In the end they opted to go with the latter and deal with the muggles later (after all- their sons may have supplies).

As they crossed the road they couldn't help noticing the twitching curtains all around- Fred and George would have to watch out for the nosy neighbours.

Knocking on the door of number 7 they heard some frantic shuffling before the door opened to reveal Fred looking like he had been painted white from head to toe. In the background they could see George in the kitchen holding a paper bag looking much the same as his twin. A huge grin was spread over either of their faces as Fred stepped aside to let his parents in to which Arther could only sigh and enter the house followed closely by Molly.

"Mum! Dad! It's so nice to see you, what do you think of the new place?"

Arther could only raise an eyebrow and look around. The house was (for the most part) immaculate, with the exception of the kitchen which looked like someone had grabbed every kind of food there was and put it on a blender with no lid on!

"I think you boys bought a house without consulting us" he stated

The younger men shifted nervously

"Well it was mum who gave us the idea; she said she wasn't happy with us living above the shop"

"I wasn't happy because I thought it wasn't a safe environment! And your solution is to move in opposite the boy who is number 1 on You Know Whos' hit list? A move mind you, that Dumbledore himself has expressed concern about!" Molly exclaimed "I wasn't happy because I thought you two were too young and inexperienced to take proper care of yourselves living alone! And look at the state of you! What on EARTH have you been trying to do! You've lived in this house four hours and the kitchen looks like a warzone! And why do you both look like ghosts?"

Shuffling nervously the two boys knew this was it: make or break time! In a stern voice neither Arther nor Molly had truly heard Fred spoke up first

"That 'boy' saved our little sister from You Know Who and our little brother from a lake. As for safety- this whole area is surrounded by every protection known to Dumbledore and the Ministry!"

"As for our capability" his brother continued "we singlehandedly started a successful business, rented a shop, manage said shop, and earned enough money to rent this place. We are MORE than capable of looking after ourselves!"

"And when it comes to Dumbledore: you two raised us saying it doesn't matter how far you get in life, as long as you're loved. You said the most important thing in life was to protect those you love and care about, to do what's right no matter what"

At this both parents knew they were beat. Strangely it seemed it was always the two sons with the lowest grades who were always able to outwit them.

Knowing Molly would never admit defeat so easy, Arther decided to, as Hermione once said, 'bite the mullet'

"We understand you boy's had good intentions, but why didn't you at least talk to us? And the question as to what you're covered in still stands"

Looking calmer the two couldn't help grinning at the last part

"We knew if we told you you'd feel obliged to tell Dumbledore, don't get us wrong: we have no intention on staying on his bad side, but we knew the best way to prove to him and to you would be to simply show you!" George explained "trust me- the mere fact you're questioning this is enough to say you haven't seen Harry yet"

"and the white stuff is flour- we were trying to make Harry a marble cake and got into a pickle… well, it's more some pickles got into the cake… can we borrow a recipe?"

…

…

…

Dudley was nervous. He was used to simply saying what he wanted and getting it. But this was different, for once in his life he would need to think!

He knew his current ploy was never going to last; sooner or later his parents would snap and hell would break loose.

The problem was Dudley knew his cousin better than most thought in one sense: he knew Harry wouldn't talk.

No matter what he did Harry would never admit to his parent's cruel treatment and would probably never truly open up and simply ask for the things that would make his life better.

However, at the same time Dudley knew nothing else about Harry! Not his hopes, dreams, likes, dislikes, ambitions… not even his fashion preference thanks to the denial of regular clothing.

That's when it hit him! He didn't need to know exactly what Harry would want: just what he was denied!

OK- what had Dudley and his family denied Harry to keep him unhappy?

Love: his friends had that covered already

Friends: same

TV: maybe he could talk to these twins about getting harry a mini TV for his room?

Clothing: easy! Just tell them to take him shopping

Food: Dudley could handle that himself!

This was going to be easy! His parents wouldn't be able to decline the gifts without risking the wrath of Harry's kind and the food would be easy enough to keep a secret (Lord knows Dudley had been sneaking food long enough!

As he thought on his plan he wondered if he'd missed anything, at which point he heard the shower running. He could hear his parents talking downstairs so that must be his cousin (at least he was finally doing something outside his room; it was starting to get musty in that part of the house!). Maybe he could suggest a spa day… nah; too much.

It was funny really: since coming back Harry had been even worse than last time! The nightmares were definitely the biggest issue but Dudley could hardly help with that. What could he do? Sing a lullaby?

At that thought Dudley couldn't help thinking of all the times his mother had sung to him. Had his own aunt sung to her son? The thought hit like a brick; before, she had been 'Harrys' mum', but the fact was, she was to him what his own mother was to Harry. The thought made Dudley unexpectedly sad she was dead. Was it possible to miss someone you never met? Who you knew nothing about and no one even spoke of? Was this how his cousin felt?  
As Dudley pondered he thought of how things would be if places were switched. He knew he'd have used his parent's deaths as an excuse, like a get out of jail free card. Not Harry.

Never once at school had Harry even brought it up.

School, what classes did harry even do now. Were they like his school? All different? Or was it a mix?

At primary school he'd covered English, maths, science, music, and all the basics. Was it the same for those born into the world of magic?

Dudley couldn't help find it ironic that Harry's best topic had been science! The complete opposite of magic in Dudley's mind. Yet it had been Harry's favourite subject next to music.

He definitely liked music, though the love had been squashed down over the years through various means: as soon as the love became clear Harry was never given a chance to listen to or play music.

Maybe an instrument? Something cool, but quiet enough that Harry could play without others hearing? But what? Did wizards even use the same instruments as normal people?

Maybe this wouldn't be so easy after all.


End file.
